Albert ii



m MA 0 Q A U Tu (No Model.)

Patented Jan. 11, 1898.

UNITEDF' STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

ALBERT H. JENKS, OF HORNELLSVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TRUMAN I'L DENNIS AND CHAUNOY D. SHULTZ, OF SAME PLACE.

LUGGAGE-CARRIER.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,318, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed May 22, 1897. Serial No. 687,724. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that LALBERT H. J ENKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hornellsville, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luggage-Carriers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in luggage-carriers for bicycles and the like. 7

The object of the invention is to provide a strong, simple, inexpensive, light, and durable luggage-carrier which can be easily applied to any bicycle or other vehicle, and which will hold and carry bundles or articles of various shapes and sizes in various positions, and is of such construction and arrangement that the bundle or article can be quickly secured to or released from the carrier and yet will be firmly held against accidental displacement'while being carried.

A further object of the invention is to provide a luggage-carrier with improved binding means of simple, cheap, and durable construction, and which will hold and secure bundles of various sizes, permitting the bundie to be easily secured to or released from the carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in details of parts and constructions, wherebya highly-eihcient luggage-carrier is produced.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in arrangements of parts and in combinations of elements, as more fully and particularly set forth and described hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a bicycle-head having the luggage-carrier clamped thereto, the spring-binder extending between the front ends of the upper holding-arms of the carrier, where it can be placed when not holding a bundle. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier, the bicycle-head being shown in section, dotted lines showinga bundle within the holding-arms and the spring-binder in full lines around the same, dotted lines showing the binder in the same position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig; 3 is a side elevation of the carrier, dotted lines showing a bundle on the base beneath the arms and the binder shown in full lines around the same from the central portion of the upper end of the carrier to the inner loop of the base, dotted lines showinga bundle in an upright position on the base in front of the arms and the binder around the same to the outer front portion of the base. Fig. etis a detail top plan of the clamp securing the carrier to the bicycle-head, the head and oarrier being broken away and the spring'clamp loosened and the bolt in readiness for outward swing, dotted lines showing the same swung outwardly. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of said clamp.

In the drawings, a is the head of the bicy- 7o cle to which the carrier is particularly adapt ed and in front of which it is usually located.

The carrier comprises the base or'shelf Z), horizontally arranged and extending for wardly from the bicycle-head or other portion 7 5 of a vehicle to which the carrier is secured, and the oppositely and forwardly extending holding-arms cl d, arranged a distance above the base, and the upright portions 0 0, connecting the inner portions of the arms and base and extending upwardly along the bicycle-head and secured together by a suitable clip or clamp by which the carrier is secured to the bicycle-head and by which the entire carrier is supported, and also a suitable binding device, such as 6, provided to secure the bundle or other article on the base and under, between, or in front of the upper" holdingarms (1 d.

The frame or body of the carrier is prefero ably and usually bentfrom a single length of proper wire forming the two loops b 19, extending forwardly in segmental shape and v brought together at their front ends, where the two loops are preferably secured rigidly 5 together by brazing or otherwise to formthe base circular or ring shaped, although of course the wire can be bent otherwise to form a base of any other desirable shape. The portions of the Wire forming the outer sides of me the two loops b b and between the inner ends of said loops is looped centrally. and forwardly into the open center of the base to form the short central loop or eye 1')", extending a short distance into the ring or open center of the base, constituting a support in said otherwise open center and an eye to which the binder can be attached.

The portions of the wire forming the inner sides of the two loops Z) Z) are extended rearwardly on opposite sides of the short loop I) and are twisted or coiled at 5 around the length of wire from which said short loop is formed and at opposite sides thereof, thereby stiffening and uniting the parts of the base. From said coils the two lengths c c of the wire extend upwardly and a distance apart to receive the head of the bicycle between them and at their upper ends carry the two holding-arms d d a suitable distance above the base, said arms being formed by two loopsextending laterally in opposite directions and curving forwardly, so that their outer front ends are located a distance in front of the head of the bicycle and preferably to points outside of the vertical plane of the base of the carrier, with a single unbroken (preferably) length of wire extending along the top or upper side of the two loops and joining them, and having the central deflection, notch, or recess d in front of the head, for the purpose hereinafter stated.

At an intermediate point between the base and holding-arms the upright portions 0 c of the carrier are formed with the rearward deflections c 0, so that the deflections are brought about on diametrically opposite sides of the bicycle-head and are there rigidly secured together by the clamping-plate f. This plate f partially embraces the head and has the opposite vertical grooves f f, in which the upright portions 0 c of the carrier are rigidly secured by solder or otherwise, so that the carrier is thereby stiffened and rendered rigid and strong for the purpose intended. The plate f is preferably formed of spring metal and has the rearwardly-extendin g ends constantly tending to spring apart, so that the clamping-plate can be removed forwardly from or pushed rearwardly onto the bicyclehead. Suitable means are provided to draw these spring ends together and thus cause the plate to tightly clamp the bicycle-head and maintain the carrier in the proper position thereon. For this purpose one end of the plate is formed with eyes f, tightly embracing a pivot on which an eye in the end of the bolt 9 is confined to turn and permit the free end of the bolt swinging toward and from the opposite spring end of the clamping-plate, which opposite end is centrally notched or bifurcated at f and turned or bent laterally. The free end of the bolt is threaded and provided with a suitable thumb or wing nut 9, so that the bolt swings into said notch and the nut is screwed down onto the laterallybent spring end, whereby the two ends of the clamping-plate are drawn toward each other and the plate is caused to tightly clamp the bicycle-head. The bolt is 'bent slightly to extend across the rear portion of the head,

preferably without engaging the surface thereof, while the inner face of the plate can be lined with leather or other suitable packing to protect the enamel of the head. To release the clamping-plate, it is only necessary to turn the nut with the fingers toward the outer end of the bolt and then swing the bolt from the notched end of the plate, the notched laterally-bent end springing in to permit the passage of the nut as the bolt swings outwardly. I A most strong, durable, and efficient clamp is thus provided which can be locked or released easily and without the employment of a wrench or other special tool or key, and it should be noted that this clamp constitutes an essential feature of this invention and is not limited to employment in connection with the particular carrier shown, nor, in fact, is my invention in this regard limited to use in connection with any particular part, as the clamp can be used for other purposes than securing luggage-carriers.

Bundles can be arranged in several different positions in the carrier-for instance, in

a vertical position resting on the base and extending up between the two lateral arms or in a horizontal position resting on the base and arranged under or extending up in front of the outer ends of the lateral arms. Suitable means can be provided to bind or hold the bundle in the desired position and against displacement, and for this purpose I prefer to employ a tightly-coiled exceedingly flexible spring 6, usually tapering to its ends and at one end having the eye 6 rigid therewith and loosely embracing and confined on the wire of the carrier, and at the other end having a hook e rigidly secured to the free end of the spring and formed to catch and hold onto any suitable portion of the carrier.

Y In the specific construction shown in the drawings as an illustration of my invention the eye or secured end of the spring is shown confined loosely to the portion of the wire forming the lateral arms, so that the eye can be shifted to any suitable portion of the arms or the upper length of the wire between the two arms. Hence when the bundle rests on the base and extends up between the arms, which partially embrace it and hold and steady it, the eye of the spring can be moved to the end of one arm and the spring stretched around the outer side of the bundle and the hook at its free end caught at the outer end of the opposite arm. Figs. 1 and 2 show the spring distended as though holding a bundle in such position.

If the bundle rests below or in front of the arms, the eye of the spring can be moved to a central position over the base-for instance, to the bend or offset d-and the spring extending in a vertical posit-ion, with its hook caught in the loop I) or at the outer ends of the loops 1) or at some other suitable point in the base. Such positions are shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The spring being exceedingly flexible consomewhat soft binder partially embraces the' bundle with sufficient pressure to tightly hold it against displacement. When there is no bundle in the carrier, the spring can be held by the ends of the arms and its central portioncaught around under the loop I) to prevent rattling or swinging thereof when the bicycle is in motion. This flexible binder has been found to, possess material practical advantages, and my invention is not limited to the employment of such a binder in the particular carrier illustrated.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the forms, constructions, and arrangements of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact constructions illustrated and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A luggage-carrier for bicycles havingan intermediate upright portion provided at an intermediate point, with a clamp for securing the carrier to the bicycle, the enlarged shelf ext-ending outwardly from the lower end of said portion, the substantially rigid arms extending oppositely and forwardly from the upper end of said portion and so arranged with relation to the shelf that a bundle can rest on the shelf and fit between said arms, or be neath them, or rest against their outer ends, said shelf, upright portion, and arms being rigid with each other or relatively stationary, and a binder arranged to hold the bundle in the carrier and to extend from arm to arm or from a part of the arms to the shelf, substantially as described.

2. A luggagecarrier for bicycles formed of a single length of wire bent into the several at their upper port-ions looped outwardly to form the laterally-extending opposite arms a distance above the base, a clamp for securing the carrier to a bicycle having a member thereof permanently and rigidly secured to and connecting said upright lengths, and a binder arranged to'partially embrace a bundle and hold it in the carrier, substantially as described.

3. A luggage-carrier comprising a horizontally-disposed shelf consisting of the curved horizontally-disposed loops meeting and secured together at their outer ends and the short horizontal loop extending outwardly into the space between said first mentioned loops, an upright portion rigid with said loops and extending up from the inner ends there- I of, the arms extending horizontally from the upper end of said upright portion a distance above said shelf, a clamp for carrying the carrier, and an expansible-spring binder loosely confined to the upper portion of the carrier at or about said arms and arranged for detachable connection to any one of said loops of the shelf to bind the bundle against said arms and on the shelf, substantially as described.

4. A luggagecarrier bent from a single length of wire and comprising the horizontally-disposed shelf comprising the segmental loops approximately meeting at their outer ends, a vertical portion extending up from the inner edge of the shelf with the oppositelyextending lateral loops or arms at the top, eX- tending outwardly and forwardly for the purpose described in combination with a clamp secured to said vertical portion, and a binder, substantially as described.

5. A luggage-carrier comprising a horizontally-arranged shelf formed of segmental wire loops meeting at their outer closed ends to form a circular shelf, the length of wire forming one side of each loop twisted around the length of wire of the opposite side of the respective loops and extended upwardly and then doubled laterally to form the oppositelyextending loops having their ends curved forwardly above the shelf, a clamp carried by said upright portions, and a binder loosely confined to said upper loops, substantially as described.

6. A luggage-carrier comprising a shelf formed of horizontal loops of wire, an upright portion rigid with and extending up from the inner edge of said base and formed to fit on opposite sides of a bicycle-head and terminating at the top in oppositely-extending loops, a coiled spring at one end loosely confined to said oppositely-extending loops and having attaching means at its free end for secure ment to various parts of the shelf or the end, of either oppositely-extending loop, and a clamp secured to said rigid portion, substantially as described.

7. A luggage-carrier comprising a horizontal shelf having openings therein, a vertical portion extending up from the inner edge of the shelf, and the oppositely-extending loops extending laterally from the upper end of the 'vertical portion and a distance above the shelf so that a bundle can rest on the shelf and extend up in front of said arms, or beneath said arms, or rest against the vertical portion and centrally between said arms, a coiled-spring binder at one end having an eye confined to and slidable on a part of the carrier with a catch at its free end arranged to attach to various parts of the carrier, and means for attaching the carrier to a bicycle, substantially as described.

8. A luggage-carrier comprising a shelf having openings, a vertical portion extending up therefrom and terminating at the top in oppositely-eXt-endin g lateral loops, and a closely the-loops extending laterally'from the upper;

end of said nprightportion, and curving outwardly and forwardly,substan tiall y as shown, andmeans for holding a bundle on the carrier, substantially as described.

10. A luggage-carrier having a shelf and a portion above the shelf, and a coiled flexible retractive spring constituting a binder and at one end loosely confined to one part ofthe carrier and capable of sliding-or shifting; thereon andhavinga hook or catch at its free; end-for detachable securement to an opposite;

part of the carrierso that the spring 'partiallyi embraces and yieldingly grips and holds a;

bundle inthe carrie glandsaid hook can attech to various parts of the carrier, substantially asdescribed.

'11. A luggage-carrier comprising a shelf and oppositely extending arms above the shelf with a continuous length of wire or rod forming one side of the arms, and a-fiexible coiled retractive spring having an eye at one end'loosely confined on said rod sothat the eye can move to the end of either arm or to pointsbetween-the same, the free end of the spring providedwith a catch adapted for detachable secnrement to-va-riouspoints on the shelf or the end of either'arm, substantially as described.

12. A luggage-carrier having a shelfformed of several wire loops,opposite wire loops above the shelf, and a binder comprising a closely- -coiled flexible retractive spring atone end 'confined'to one part of the carrier to slide-or shift thereon and at-its free'endhaving a hook to catch in various loopsat opposite 'parts of the carrier, substantiallyias described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in'presence of-two witnesses.

ALBERT H. JENKS. Witnesses:

0. -13. WINDsoR, -L. BARRETT. 

